How do u photograph using a Telescope

[Sammy3934]

Hi,
Do you need a special camera and telescope, to photograph this wonderful galaxy???

Cheers, Sammy

[niko]

Sammy,

that's a piece of string type question! There's a host of options.

Deep Space objects generally require an equitorially mounted scope with some form of guiding - the camera can be either a dslr (with relevant connectors) or a dedicated CCD.

Some brighter objects and the moon can be afocally photographed by holding (or fixing) a point and shoot camera in front of a non-tracking dob but you are naturally limited to very short exposures. It works but can be frustrating. Having said that I think the best moon photo I've taken was done that way.

You can also piggyback a camera on top of a mount or tracking scope to take widefields.

Or, at the simplest end of the scale you can plonk a camera on a tripod and take widefields of the Milky Way at exposures up to about 30secs before trailling becomes a problem. Or, you can take startrails - long exposures or a series of 30sec exposures stitched together.

I notice from other posts you are selling your dob and have shown some interest in my Celestron. So, the dob advice is probably obsolete. I have taken afocal shots and piggyback shots (up to several minutes) with the celestron.

It's not a bad way to dip your toe in and practice some techniques without sending you to the poor house with full blown astrophotography!

cheers

niko

You can take widefields

[RobF]

What objects are you after Sammy?
When you say "this galaxy", you can shoot a lot of the milky way in widefield and it looks amazing.